Read what others say about The Center for Parenting Education and our programs:
Comments from Parents
The following are comments shared by parents who have attended programs from The Center for Parenting Education:
General Comments
“The Parenting Center is such a safe place to receive information and encouragement and to meet people who are enthusiastic about their kids and their role as a parent.”
“I found the center to be a tremendous resource. I felt extremely comfortable expressing things that were going on in my family.”
“Definitely a resource to help with parenting, and who couldn’t use a little help now and then?”
“I have told many friends and relatives about my experiences with The Center for Parenting Education. The classes are informative, fun, free and helpful.”
“Great teachers, great programs!”
“It is a gem in our community!”
“I really appreciated the accepting atmosphere at the Parenting Center. The Parenting Educators are open, warm and understanding of so many different people and their family situations, and they are so knowledgeable.”
“The support and encouragement I received in the program was so helpful to me. It helped me deal with the struggles with my children so much better and with more confidence.”
“It was so helpful and reassuring to hear other parents who are experiencing the same challenges with their children. I felt so alone until I attended the Parenting Center programs and talked with other parents and heard their stories.”
“You helped me not to feel so overwhelmed with raising my children and to see that I am doing a good job with my parenting.”
“I loved the comaraderie among the parents in my group. It made me feel less alone. It is so helpful to realize that I am not the only parent struggling with certain issues.”
“I really like the idea of using discipline as an opportunity to teach my children – I will think about what they need to learn when I am deciding how to discipline them.”
“The Parenting Center is a great resource with wonderful staff!”
“The staff truly cares about children, whether they are infants, toddlers, or teens. They try to help parents cope with children and better understand them. All parents should try to attend a class or two.”
“The Parenting Center is a wonderful program that is very helpful.”
“Because there are other parents at the meetings, it’s a great chance to learn something from a number of angles.”
“It’s nice to find other parents who share the same obstacles you do and the information is very useful and applicable in real life situations at home.”
“The Parenting Center is a great resource for parenting tips and ideas for kids of all ages.”
“The people are helpful and friendly. It is a great resource for first time parents.”
“I learned how important it is for me to take care of myself and think of myself every once in a while. Then, I will be more patient and will be able to use my sense of humor to stay calm.”
“You helped me to understand why my son behaves as he does. This has made me more patient and more accepting of him.”
“It was so helpful to learn how important it is to consider the needs of everyone in my family, my own as well as my children’s and to know that I can be a better parent when I get some of my needs met!”
Educational Workshops:
“The Parenting Center is a great resource for parents. The workshops give up-to-date quality information on positive parenting methods that really work.”
“Bring it on! I’m always looking for practical, quick parenting tips. These kids grow fast and what works at age 2 doesn’t work at age 5, etc. Even if it’s to hear I’m doing the right thing, I would always be interested in productive parenting workshops.”
“I learned the importance of staying calm when I discipline and that there are many ways to handle situations besides negative punishment. I now have a wider repertoire of responses when I have to discipline my children that I can feel good about using.”
“I loved the idea of visualizing how I would like my children to eventually be and visualizing their future abilities. I learned specific ways to help them feel good about themselves and at the same time behave better – the idea of ‘catching them being good’ and highlighting the good stuff – I love that idea!!!”
“I would highly recommend the programs at the Parenting Center. I like the variety of workshops that are available. They cover such a wide range of parenting issues.”
“I have recommended the Parenting Center to friends and acquaintances at my children’s schools. I tell them that I have found each program to be insightful and positive. I like the idea that today is a new day, and the way I parented yesterday (if I did not like it) can be changed. I am now proud of most of my parenting due in some part to the parenting center.”
“It is so good to learn that a lot of my son’s behavior that I have gotten so upset about is actually part of normal development. I understand now that I should not take it personally, that he is not acting that way just to upset me! There are ways to deal with it without getting angry.”
“I learned how important it is to do more listening, observe more, to be less reactive and to stay calm. I see that it is alright for my son to get angry – I can teach him better ways to let me know he is mad at me.”
“I appreciate the opportunity for the group interactions. I learn a lot when other members of the class share their experiences.”
“It was helpful to know that there are other people with my same problems. I liked the group involvement, sharing personal experiences and listening to others’ stories.”
“Thank you so much for giving me tools to handle my really spirited children. I will have a much more positive attitude about their behavior and not feel so helpless now.”
“I know remaining calm is the winning answer. Your workshop just reaffirms my efforts to be there.”
“It is nice to hear both the professional information as well as hear the other parents’ stories. I thoroughly enjoy both. Parenting remains very hard for me. I enjoy learning new and reviewing old information.”
“I now ask my children for their suggestions for solving problems we are having – it doesn’t have to all fall on my shoulders. They can come up with some really good ideas. Giving children the power to be part of the solution makes them feel good and they are so much more cooperative.”
“I loved being reminded of how important and helpful it is to use humor to diffuse a tense or angry situation.”
“Having realistic expectations for my children will make me be less frustrated and critical of them for not being able to do things.”
“I learned not to take my children’s behavior personally, especially when they get angry at me. Then I don’t get angry and the situation does not escalate.”
“Please offer more on-line classes. I am a single parent, so it is very hard for me to get out at night. Being able to attend a class from home is so convenient. You gave great information on the slides and your answers to our questions were excellent – it felt like we were together in person! You were very encouraging, and it helped to know that other people in the ‘room’ were in the same boat with their kids and their questions.”
“Allow me to say how wonderful these online programs are. Your programs are fantastic. Because I have a small child at home, I this is the perfect solution!!”
“I loved the on-line program. It was so convenient to be able to get the information from my own home.”
“I appreciate any and all programs in this on-line format. As a single parent, it is difficult for me to get out at night. Being able to participate from my own home really affords me the opportunity to attend the sessions.”
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Comments from Community Organizations
The following testimonials are made by community organizations on behalf of The Center for Parenting Education:
Jude Henzy Case Manager Interfaith Housing Alliance“Several of our parents commented that this program was the best one they’ve been to so far. Your Parenting Educators were engaging, non-judgmental, knowledgeable and sensitive. We will definitely do more programs with the Center for Parenting Education in the future.
Each month I post your newsletter on our bulletin boards and reprint something from your website in our in-house newsletter. Your agency has been a great resource for me.
Thanks for a terrific experience.”
William A. Lessa Superintendent of Schools, Retired Hatboro-Horsham School District“As a parent and a school administrator, I have had a personal and professional interest in parenting education programming for more than thirty years. Further, I have been involved in the teaching of parenting classes every year of my career since 1981. Over all of these years of interest and involvement, I have never felt so confident in parenting education services as I have been since becoming directly involved with the Center for Parenting Education.
The quality and diversity of programs, coupled with strong leadership and excellent instruction, have led to tremendous services and opportunities for parents in our region. In my role as Superintendent of Schools for the Hatboro-Horsham School District, it is important to know where to turn in order to secure excellent programs and support for our parents. The Center for Parenting Education provides this desired level of excellence. I cannot encourage school districts and parents enough to embrace the services that can be readily available through the Center.”
Steven A. Shapiro, D.O. Abington Memorial Hospital“I have taken some time to think carefully about the myriad of experiences that we in the Department of Pediatrics have benefited by having The Center for Parenting Education close by. There is such a constant clamoring for all of the information that you bring to us. As pediatricians, we are constantly besieged with requests for “best programs” and interesting ways of having our younger families meeting others in their communities. Suffice to say, nobody does it better than you.
When the web-based learning programs developed, the buzz amongst my colleagues was that this was a very well thought out and useful program that would ultimately link parents with similar problems and situations to each other. In the process of child-rearing the biggest hurdle is not the physical capability of performing the act but becoming lost in a world where a young mother may feel isolated and alone. The exceptional work that you have done over these many years is a tribute to the spirit of the program and to the quality of the information that it offers to our community of families. You have my deepest respect.”
Beth Ann Neill Director, Public Relations and Marketing Abington Memorial Hospital and Marianna Calabrese Director, Community Health Services Abington Memorial Hospital“The Center for Parenting Education provides invaluable services and support to the families that Abington Memorial Hospital serves. Its programs, which supplement the health care provided by our physicians, meet the needs of area parents and children by contributing to the health of individual families , and, thereby, strengthening our communities.
The Center for Parenting Education has demonstrated an impressive record of achievement. In the 13 years since its formation, it has developed into a “full service” parenting education center, offering many varied programs that serve parents of children of all ages. They have also established themselves as an important component of the auxiliary health care provider network in our area and have developed key relationships with other social service providers.
Abington Memorial Hospital’s Community Health Services work closely with The Parenting Center in providing certain programs within the hospital, in marketing its programs to the diverse population we serve, in printing its literature and in providing other in-kind support to The Parenting Center.
As a leading maternity hospital, we have strong prenatal educational classes and believe that parenting education is a vital component in the continuum of support to families. We see it as our responsibility to work cooperatively with parenting experts at The Center for Parenting Education in order to provide on-going programs to families after the birth of their children.
The Parenting Center, in general, serves as a complement to the current health care system. Our physicians utilize The Parenting Center as a resource for their patients. From birth, obstetricians/gynecologists refer mothers who are feeling isolated and in need of general parenting information. Pediatricians suggest attending programs to parents who need additional skills, while family practitioners and psychologists encourage joining groups which connect parents with others in similar family life cycle stages.
In the current medical and health care environment, these specialists, often over-burdened with enormous caseloads, can no longer address the parenting questions and issues that parents have. Having The Parenting Center as a resource gives physicians the knowledge that their patients are getting the full range of programs they need.
The Center for Parenting Education also has a history of reaching out to parents who may not be able or willing to attend programs at its site through communication strategies such as their newsletter, newspaper articles, and programs conducted at other sites in the community. The most recent and most innovative initiative to reach more parents is their online programming, which allows parents to access their excellent information and support via the internet. These programs, which are creative, parent-friendly, and informative, represent a major new direction for the effective dissemination of parenting education by building upon younger parents’ comfort with technology and the internet.
The Parenting Center is responsive to community needs and creative in finding new ways to meet those needs. It is stable and determined in its unrelenting pursuit of ways to support families. I find the leadership and the facilitators at The Parenting Center to be professional, responsible, reliable, capable and dynamic individuals who passionately believe in their mission. They support parents and families in part by stressing the vital role that parents play in the lives of their children, in the health of our communities and in the future of our society. We believe that this small non-profit organization is making a large positive difference in the lives of individual children and families in our community.”
Dr. Matthew Wexler Coordinator of Pupil Services Abington Junior High School Abington School DistrictThe Parenting Center is clearly committed to helping families. Their knowledge base is thorough and their communication of it reflects their deep desire to improve families resiliency. They maintain a wide repertoire for providing assistance. Given the challenges of raising a child in today’s environment, the local community is fortunate to have the Parenting Center as a resource.”
Amy Roak St. Thomas’ Nursery School“What a gift today was!!! I received such amazing feedback….the moms there felt they could really open up and safely share…laughing and crying and learning….truly amazing. Kudos to your wonderful facilitators!”
Donna Young Program Director Safe Harbor, Abington Memorial Hospital’s Program for Grieving Children, Teens and Families“The parenting educators were phenomenal. They were on target on every level. They understood our parents. We were impressed from the first moment they started their presentation. Thank you so much.”
Marilyn Mitchell Coordinator of Employee Wellness Programs Abington Memorial Hospital“As coordinator of the Employee Wellness Programs for Abington Memorial Hospital, I have had the pleasure of working with the Center for Parenting Education, which provided a series of parenting education workshops for our employees. We found the staff from the Center to be professional, responsible, reliable, dedicated, and very knowledgeable about the topics they presented.
The participants were impressed with the content and helpful tips presented; the Employee feedback indicated that they learned a lot of very valuable information that will help them to raise their children well. The employees commented that they felt better equipped to be a good parent with the understanding of the needs of their children and how to use that knowledge in a healthy way.
The Parenting Educators offered valuable tools in a caring, warm and accepting atmosphere. All attending felt comfortable and at ease and very excited to put into practice what they had learned.
We thank them for their time and expertise.”
Denise LaBuda Director Quicken® Kids & Money“I have known Audrey Krisbergh and her leadership team at The Center since 2006. They were hired by Intuit to help build a new web-based product designed to teach young children fundamental money skills and habits. Their particular focus on the project was to support parents with information about typical child development and healthy parenting skills and approaches.
The Center is highly qualified to design, develop and deliver an extensive parenting education curriculum. In their work with Intuit, they demonstrated a wide-ranging depth and breadth of parenting knowledge and expertise as well as a great degree of flexibility in helping devise new ways to support parents online. As highly effective team players, the Center assisted us in our product development process by providing valuable insights into how parents think and what they need.
We received exceptionally positive feedback from parents who participated in the parenting aspect of the new product offering and the Center staff consistently produced a high quality and thoughtful product and demonstrated at every turn a high degree of professionalism.
I would highly recommend without reservation The Center for Parenting Education for developing online programs to suit the complex needs of parenting in today’s society.”
Linda Abram- Family and Community Engagement Specialist Office of School and Community Engagement North Penn School District – a Family Friendly District“Please extend my thanks and appreciation to your staff on behalf of the Office of School and Community Engagement of the North Penn School District, for presenting a wonderful program for our families and staff entitled “Promoting Responsibility: A Key to Success” as part of our free FACE time (Family and Community Engagement) workshops series.
Approximately 50 parents and staff were quite engaged in the program that was presented; it was organized very efficiently, with time for feedback and questions throughout the evening. The handouts were very clear, concise and relevant to the topic, with suggestions that parents and staff could readily use.
The audience was made to feel very comfortable, and examples offered by the presenters were very real and appropriate.
Thank you again for offering such quality programming for our families and our community. We look forward to working with you and your staff in the near future! “
Fred Blankenburg Family to Family Conferencing Specialist Montgomery County Office of Children and Youth“Over the years the Center for Parenting Education has been a vital partner with the Office of Children and Youth. They are one of the best resources of their kind for parents and families in Eastern Montgomery County.”
Debbie Green Director Abington Friends School Early Childhood Program“This is the third year that Abington Friends School has held it’s Parenting in the 21st Century Conference and the first year that we have teamed with The Center for Parenting Education to facilitate two of the workshops. Those workshops turned out to be the most popular of those that we offered and were quickly filled to capacity. Those workshops also received high praise from all of the participants. A few of the evaluation comments from participants:
- “Creating an Attitude of Gratitude” was a wonderful workshop. They presenters gave many practical examples that I am looking forward to trying right away.
- The workshop presenters had great energy and chemistry that fed the audience and led to a terrific participatory experience.
- The workshop leaders for the “Tools for Effective Discipline” workshop provided extremely helpful information. I would have sat in the room all day to listen and learn from their knowledge and experience.
- I am hoping to attend more workshops given by these presenters. They were extremely knowledgeable and professional.
We loved teaming with your organization. The feedback on the two workshops given by your presenters were across the board extremely positive. Thanks for agreeing to team with us.”
Roberta Fortune Mary Mother of the Redeemer Home and School Association“Thank you for an excellent program on Self-Esteem. It was informative, educational and entertaining. We appreciate The Parenting Center sharing their talent with our parents.”
Laura Shea Mary Mother of Redeemer Preschool Parents“Thank you so much for your great presentation. We appreciated your insight and advice. We all felt it was the best meeting we have had in a long time. We plan to continue discussing the topic at our monthly meetings– kind of like a continuing support group!”
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